Production Server Setup for Your Web App (VPS or Cloud VM)
I set up a secure production server for your app on the provider you choose: firewall, SSH keys, TLS, reverse proxy, database, workers, backups and basic monitoring, with a runbook. From $390 ($300 founding) for one server, about a week. Single server or app/database split. Email your app and provider to start.
See a sample report, proposal and weekly update- Price
- from $390
- Founding
- from $300
- Timeline
- ~1 week
- Format
- Fixed scope, fixed price
- Hours
- US Eastern Time, async
Who this is for.
A good fit if
- Apps ready to leave a shared host, a PaaS or a developer’s laptop
- Founders who want a server they own, on their own cloud account
- Agencies who need a clean production box for a client build
Common triggers
- Launch is coming and there’s no production server yet
- The current server was set up by hand years ago and nobody knows how
- PaaS or cloud bills are growing faster than users
Not a fit if
- You need high availability, clusters or Kubernetes
- You need 24/7 on-call server support
- You need email (mailbox) hosting on the same server
What I do, and what you get.
What I do
- Create the server on your account (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Vultr, Linode, Google Cloud, AWS Lightsail and similar)
- Harden it: SSH keys only, firewall, automatic security updates
- Set up the reverse proxy and TLS certificates with auto-renewal
- Deploy your app (Docker or native), queues, cron and the database
- Set up encrypted offsite backups and one test restore (Standard)
- Basic uptime and disk alerts to your email (Standard)
- Split app and database onto two servers over a private network (Plus)
What you get
- A running, hardened production server on your account
- A runbook: deploy, restart, logs, backups, restore, renew, rotate
- An inventory of what runs where, with versions
- Handover call or recorded walkthrough, plus notes
Your part
- A cloud account in your name with billing set up
- DNS access or someone who can change records
- Your app in a deployable state (Docker helps)
Included
- One server (or app + database servers on Plus)
- Hardening, TLS, proxy, app, workers, database
- Backups, test restore, basic alerts (Standard and Plus)
- Runbook
Not included
- Hosting bills and paid add-ons
- Mailbox hosting
- 24/7 support or SLAs
- Ongoing patching (Care Plan)
Fixed prices, agreed before work starts.
One server, proxy, TLS, firewall, app deployed
Adds queues, cron, database, backups with test restore, basic alerts
App and database on separate servers, private network
Build your scope
- Timeline
- ~1 week
- Payment
- Paid in full before work starts
- Earliest start
- Oct 5
Founding price: 3 of 7 spots left, until Mar 31, 2027 — one-off work, in return for a testimonial. How it works
Prices are in USD, paid by bank transfer against an invoice. Work under $1,000 is paid upfront; larger work is 50% to start and 50% before handover, or monthly milestones. How working together works
Variations
- Docker app
- Compose behind nginx or Caddy.
- Native Laravel
- nginx, PHP-FPM and systemd queue workers.
- Go / Python
- A systemd service or container behind the proxy.
- Split (Plus)
- The database on its own server, reachable only from the app server.
How it runs.
- 01
Send app and provider
Email your app stack, provider and domain, and I reply within one US business day.
- 02
Plan and prepay
You get a short plan with a server size suggestion and a prepaid invoice.
- 03
Build and harden
I build and harden the server and deploy to a temporary hostname for your check.
- 04
Switch DNS
We switch DNS in an agreed window and test a restore.
- 05
Runbook handover
You get the runbook, with an optional Care Plan for patching and checks.
Where I have done this before.
WordPress Hosting Control Panel
Software I built that provisions and runs servers on five clouds: tuned nginx with HTTP/3, PHP-FPM, MariaDB, Redis, Let’s Encrypt, encrypted backups to eight storage providers and about thirty self-healing checks.
Read the case study →Healthcare · Patient booking · Bilingual webHospital Website & Serial Booking System
Docker deployment with a server runbook and a restore drill (built, not yet live).
Read the case study →Questions buyers ask.
Which provider should I pick?
I suggest one based on your region and budget; you own the account.
Will you keep access afterward?
Only if you want a Care Plan. Otherwise I hand back and you remove my key.
Can it handle my traffic?
I size it from your numbers and leave room to grow; I don’t promise capacity without a load check.
What about email?
I set DNS records for your existing email provider; I don’t host mailboxes.
Ask about Production Server Setup.
Tell me what you have and where it hurts. I reply within one US business day with either a fixed quote or the entry step that makes a fixed quote possible.
Helpful to include
- Stack
- Docker yes/no
- Expected users
- Provider preference
- Domain and DNS host
- Deadline
More in Deployment & DevOps
Dockerize Your App
I package your app, database and workers into Docker images with a Compose file, so it runs the same on a laptop, in CI and on a server. From $390 ($300 founding), delivered in about a week. Built by the maintainer of five public Docker images. Email your stack and current hosting to start.
CI/CD Pipeline
I set up a pipeline that tests every push, builds a versioned Docker image only when tests pass, and deploys it with migrations and a one-command rollback. From $390 ($300 founding), delivered in 1–2 weeks. GitHub Actions and Google Cloud Build. Email your repo host and hosting to start.
Environment as Code
I turn your production setup into files in your repo: server creation, configuration, Docker Compose and a runbook, so you can rebuild it from scratch by following timed, tested steps. Terraform or OpenTofu on request. From $910 ($700 founding) for a single server, 2–3 weeks. Email your current setup to start.
Email Authentication Setup
A new service: I set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your domain and every tool that sends email as you, such as your website, CRM, invoicing and newsletter, and then test delivery to Gmail and Outlook. From $130 ($100 founding), within a week; moving DMARC to full enforcement takes about 4 weeks.